One Geek to Stitch Them All

Its been a while since I’ve posted but plenty of knitterly things have been happening. I’ve finished the blue jeans shawl, which was a straight forward easy knit and gives me hope for one day designing my own triangular shawl.

Pre-blocked it wasn’t much to look at but it sure put my blocking mats to the test.

Just starting out with the blocking here and wondering if I will have enough matting to get it done. Its not the first time I’ve thought of ordering a second set of mats, or hunting them down from a child’s toy store.

There it is when it was finally laid out and ready to dry. I’ve worn it a few times in the cubicle and loaned it out which led to a friend requesting one in black. Or at least a similar one. I’ve started on the Spring Thaw shawl for her in some Black Debbie Bliss Bamboo Wool  Blend.

The Dalek is coming along and is actually nearly done. I just have to do the base and attach the arms. Granted it has been in this nearly done state for a couple weeks now.

Its full of stuffing and simply lacks a base and arms to go exterminating the population.

Lastly a picture a friend took at one of the many summer bbqs so far.

knitting blocking, dalek, FOs, lace, shawl

I’ve been working on a shawl, pretty much since i finished the wedding shrug. This wouldn’t have been such a problem if I hadn’t kept frogging the shawl again and again.

It started with a pattern that was a LOT of ST and then when I started to feel the never ending hate one can begin to feel for ST. Then I learned I had misread the pattern and the finished shawl would be much shorter than I would want unless willing to knit a few more miles of ST. So that was frogged.

There were a couple of other patterns that I had to abandon when I could not make out the instructions, on how to do the lace repeat.  I had hoped it would make it self clear as I knit but no such luck. Another moment where I was not sure if it was my lack of lace knowledge or too many beers (it was a beer and knitting), or a short hand that I have not come across and am simply missing.

So having given up on that.  I hunted a new pattern down, and started on that. This seems to be going much better its the Blue Jeans Shawl, < ravelry link.  I’ve made it farther than I have before and have memorized the lace repeat. So I’m hoping this continues to go well. Though I’ve picked up a new book that is cutting into my bus knitting time as I devour that instead.

Getting a Kindle and having that read to me may be a really good investment sometime in the near future.

No frogging and plenty of yarn left to keep going to make it a size to keep me warm on the bus of high AC and not take up too much room in the bag.

And I leave you with the sight that started my Memorial day weekend as I exited the building and crossed the parking lot to wait for the bus. Hopefully everyone had a good time this weekend and are ready to get back to the grind tomorrow.

knitting lace, shawl

So I’ve started the new job and the lovely epic commute. Its been anywhere from 2 hours one way to 4 hours. Not fun, but the job itself is a good thing and really that’s what matters.

This past weekend an old friend got married. It was on the water so I figured a shrug would be perfect. So of course I had a whole 5 days before the wedding. I had even planned to break the yarn diet except that it was Mother’s Day. Yarn stores closed. But I was able to find two skeins of an off white, wool from the Lion Brand Studio.

It was an adventure, knit flat, as I traveled the wilds of NJ. It didn’t help that I had only been doing the commute a week and hadn’t fully adjusted to my new earlier day. I would drift off,  think i missed my stop, and lots of other wild bus moments. But I kept at it. Even when on Monday there was lots of frogging as I tried to get the right dimensions.

I’m glad I used such a simple and easy to memorize pattern.  It was the Lace Knit Rib Shrug by Crystal Palace Yarns.  I did a simple garter edging, mostly because I did not think I would have enough yarn for full sleeves,  and would instead make  3/4 sleeves.

And I was able to finish it by Friday, with some wild, Thursday into Friday blocking, involving fans, and knitting the band onto a slightly damp project on the bus, I let it dry out in my cubicle and by the end of the night had weaved in ends, and bound off ready to head to the marina come Saturday.

Next up is a shawl or two, I may make one for the office and one for the commute if I can manage it. Both are air-conditioned and I get cold very easily. I’ve had my fingers start to turn blue, in a chilly office. And I tend to be the first to pull out the fingerless gloves and the last to put them away.

I’m tempted to use all that fingering weight yarn I got at the Hotel Sale but, part of me still wants a sweater hold out so we’ll see.

Days without a Yarn Purchase in 2010: 137

knitting lace, shrug

I have a problem; it’s the same problem that makes me a picky shopper. I can never find a pattern that is quite right. I have that I’ll know it when I see it feeling at times but most of the time? I scour pages and pages of patterns, in books, and Ravelry and end up with going back to stitch dictionaries and trying to make up what’s in my head.

This works well with the geek things. Though to be honest that is usually how do convert I have a problem; it’s the same problem that makes me a picky shopper. I can never find a pattern that is quite right. I have that I’ll know it when I see it feeling at times but most of the time? I scour pages and pages of patterns, in books, and Ravelry and end up with going back to stitch dictionaries and trying to make up something from one medium to another more.

Figuring out how to convert things is 70% of the fun for me. Working it out in yarn and wearing it is also a great deal of fun.

How did I come to this conclusion? Well there is the Franken-sweater which I gave up on finding a pattern for and have instead just worked out what I want and things I will need to learn to get it done (ie cap sleeves, short rows. So after spending most of my morning looking up stole, and shrug patterns after frogging what I did on the subway.

So I had the idea to make a lace version of one of the 2 scarves of geek via YOs. So which one should it be? Justice League or Lanterns.

It would likely be knit in this:

Or in a gray sock yarn that I have 2 skeins of that are in the other room and won’t be photographed right now.

What should I make a lace version of?

• Justice League
• Lanterns
• Something New - answer in comments

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knitting lace

So I’ve begun knitting the Extermaknit pattern by Penwiper.  After twisting stitches, thinking the stitches were twisted and all other kinds of madness I switched to DPNs instead of a 40″ circular. Ah DPNs how I heart you. all is well now.

Doesn’t seem willing to have a good picture of this. I’ll try harder once its done.

Knit on size 0 DPNs and in Karabella Aurora 4 (black) and  Wildfoote sock yarn, (red) through the nightmares and the constant frogging I have been inspired for another project. if it works it will be a mix of knitting and my other crafty endeavors. But I have lots more to figure out, and supplies to hunt down first. My deadline for something less vague is the next special. Thanksgiving? Waters of Mars.  Possibly version 1 of the whole thing.
So the experiment in blocking seemed to work.

I repeat the experinment in blocking seemed to work, but by the next day.

It looked like this again. I’ve worn it. Its super long, and i like it so shrug. I will have to try this blocking thing again. possibly more water. Or not sock yarn. Or both.

knitting blocking, dalek, Doctor Who, lace

So I have finished the mutant lace scarf, I settled on 10 1/2 needles which is nearly my default go to size.  Go figure. And I have a pattern, which I made up through lots of trial and error. It will be interesting once I get around to blocking it.

The Pattern: CO any Multiple of 3 stitches (The scarf is 21 in most places )

Row 1: YO K1 SKP
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: SKP YO K1
Row 4: Purl

And to go with this experiment in lace I add an experiment in blocking.

We’ll see how well in turns out in a day or two. Though with this heat maybe I should check it over in about 10 minutes.

This does mean that this is 1 item down on my to knit list. I would feel more accomplished if I wasn’t frogging the yoga mat bag. Not that I made it very far but still sigh frogging.

It was knit up with Noro Sock yarn and I do have at least 1/2 a skein left maybe more.

***9 Projects until New Yarn Purchases ***

knitting FOs, lace, pattern, scarf

As I currently am trying to make my way through my list and wait for my Knit Picks order.  No I haven’t broken my rule already I made the order over a week ago.  I just took stock of everything on needles. The list is behind the cut.

Waiting for my winder to arrive, though I have not yet gotten a swift. We’ll see how that will work out, pondering making a makeshift one but who knows how well that will work. I seem to still be making yarn related purchases. I just let the Container Store (that store is so addictive) with three containers to hopefully hold my yarn. Once I get that organized I’ll likely post pictures.  But that does cover No 3 on the list, or it will once I actually put the stash in the containers. Let’s hope it fits.
And also another addition to my list. Use my books – I’ve been doing well the Stitchonary Volumes 1 &2 but I have 3 Stitch n’ Bitches, (including the happy hooker) a sweater book, a general stitch guide, Visual basics socks, and a mitten/glove book on the way. I have plenty of books, patterns in queue on Ravelry, and random ideas.

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WIP bag, lace, lantern corps, plan, scarf, WIP, yoga

Back from knitting group at the castle. One of the new beers this week Kasteel Rouge was made of awesome and I likely had way too much of it.  But I have made it home and my experiment in lace knitting seems to be going well, though I have created a hybrid pattern from the Mesh Pattern 1 and Mesh Pattern 2 from my  Vogue Knitting Stitchionary V1 and my own vague memory.

When will I stop believing I can memorize a pattern even if it is only 4 rows, 2 of which are purl and 4 stitches, SKP, YO, K2tog, and  K1.  Which technically is from both patterns…

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WIP, knitting beer, lace, scarf